Over the past few days, Shen Xiaoxing had been acting strangely, unusually attentive to her, treating her so well it felt like they were dating, doting on her like a boyfriend. It left her a bit flattered and uneasy, sensing something fishy beneath it all.
After work, she came home to find the man waiting for her in the living room downstairs as usual. Lately, he no longer sat alone staring blankly at the sea. The TV was playing the latest movie. When Shen Xiaoxing heard the servants greet the woman, he turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on her.
"Back?"
"Yeah." An Ruo handed her bag to a servant and walked over with a bag of snacks. "I got you some oden and sweet potato cakes—they're super tasty."
She brought back all kinds of snacks every day. Even though Shen Xiaoxing didn't really like some of them, seeing her expectant expression, he chose to eat them all anyway. He wasn't a picky eater by nature; he'd only acted fussy and difficult before to drive her away.
"Good?" An Ruo loved eating, probably because of her childhood on the streets, where she never knew when her next meal would come. To her, being good to someone meant feeding them well.
The man lifted one corner of his mouth. "Good."
"Then have some more." An Ruo fed him a bite, then took one herself. "This fish ball is amazing..."
They took turns feeding each other, drawing envious glances from the servants.
After dinner, Shen Xiaoxing picked up an apple from the table and started peeling it. An Ruo glanced over, then rushed over in a panic to grab the fruit knife from him.
"It's fine. I can handle something as simple as peeling fruit."
Since he insisted, she decided to watch how this big shot would manage peeling fruit blind.
She watched him peel with practiced skill, surprisingly adept, and silently admired him. "You like apples?"
"No."
"Then why are you peeling so many?"
"You like them."
An Ruo paused, realizing the man was peeling them for her. But she didn't like apples!
"I like tangerines..." She took the apple from his hand and replaced it with a tangerine. "Peel this instead."
Safer than peeling an apple. If he cut himself doing that, she'd feel terribly guilty.
...
At the second round of the Blue Pearl spokesperson selection competition, Gu Chao surprisingly showed up in person, stunning the entire hall and An Ruo alike. Just a few days ago, when she'd shown him the competition lineup, he'd been indifferent, saying she could decide everything. She hadn't expected him to take the second round so seriously.
An Ruo sat beside Gu Chao. Whenever a contestant took the stage, she'd present the relevant materials and give a brief introduction. Gu Chao seemed uninterested, flipping through the papers until he found Song Weiwei.
Remembering how eager he'd been to hear about Song Weiwei that day, An Ruo's eyes lit up slightly. "Among them, Miss Song has the strongest overall skills. I wonder if she can make it to the finals in this round."
"We'll see." Gu Chao stared intently at the girl in the small photo, his gaze deep as if recalling memories buried in the past.
Even An Ruo, oblivious as she was, could tell he had feelings for Song Weiwei. As she eagerly awaited the girl's performance, she secretly fantasized about them getting together. A perfect match—handsome man and beautiful woman!
The heroine of her imagination was still changing backstage. As Pan Zhiyao approached the stage, she shot a meaningful glance at the staff.
Her performance was dull, much like the previous contestants—no innovation in costume or expression. That she'd advanced in the first round showed she was indeed good-looking, but in this second round, which tested skill, she clearly struggled. If An Ruo had to guess, she was even wearing the same outfit as before.
Was she overconfident in her abilities, or did she have someone backing her, thinking she could waltz into the finals with minimal effort?
Just as Gu Chao was growing bored, An Ruo whispered, "It's Miss Song's turn."
The lights in the hall suddenly went out!
When they came back on, a single beam illuminated the vast dance floor. A woman in a light blue gauze dress, with matching sequins on her face, began to dance gracefully to the sound of classical music. Her movements were fluid, and a wire lifted her into the air, making her flutter like a fairy fallen to earth. Colored lights projected whales drifting slowly across the night sky...
An Ruo watched her, mesmerized, thinking how well the concept matched their new product, "Blue Whale." No wonder she'd chosen blue.
Gu Chao was equally captivated. Watching her dance, his mind flashed back to a girl dancing among flowers with butterflies, so beautiful it left him stunned. Back then, he hadn't had the courage to approach her, only able to watch from afar...
Song Weiwei rose on her tiptoes, and backstage staff adjusted the wire to lift her. Her beautiful eyes lifted, and as she spread her arms, countless blue and white petals scattered around her. She was breathtakingly beautiful!
Suddenly, the ring holding the wire snapped. She screamed, and before anyone could react, the girl plummeted toward the ground.
An Ruo froze. A gust of wind rushed past her ear, nearly knocking her over—
A dark figure dashed into the crowd, seeing the girl unconscious from her severe injuries. Gu Chao immediately scooped her up, shouting frantically, "Ambulance! Call an ambulance!"